Following the death sentence against a German, Belarus (formerly Belarus) is ready to negotiate with the Foreign Office. Berlin has been offered solutions, it was said in Minsk.
After a death sentence against a German in Belarus was announced, the Foreign Ministry in Minsk officially confirmed the man’s case for the first time. The German citizen was convicted of terrorism and mercenary activities, Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glas announced on the social network VK. Glas only spoke of a conviction, but did not mention the death penalty. The former Soviet republic ruled by ruler Alexander Lukashenko is the only country in Europe where this sentence is still carried out – by shooting in the back of the neck. The execution is usually only discovered after the fact by relatives.
“Of course there were contacts with the German side on this issue,” said Glas. “This criminal is a German citizen and we understand the German side’s concern for him.” Belarus has granted the German side consular access to the “criminal” in accordance with international law and interstate agreements.
“Taking into account the request of the German Foreign Office, the Belarusian side has made concrete proposals for a solution to the existing options for the development of the situation,” said Glas. He did not provide any details. The foreign ministries of both countries are holding consultations on the matter, he said.
Foreign Office in Berlin confirms the case
The Foreign Office in Berlin also confirmed the case on Friday at the request of the German Press Agency. Berlin fundamentally rejects the death penalty as cruel and inhumane, it said. “The Foreign Office and the embassy in Minsk are providing consular support to the person concerned and are working hard on his behalf with the Belarusian authorities,” it said in a statement.
The former German Red Cross rescue worker is accused of mercenary activity, espionage, terrorism, the creation of an extremist organization, destruction of a transport facility and illegal handling of weapons, explosives and ammunition, reported the exiled human rights group Vjasna. The verdict is said to have been pronounced in Minsk on June 21.
Belarus, which has been sanctioned for serious human rights violations and for supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, has in the past bought concessions from the West by releasing prisoners. As in Russia, Western prisoners are sometimes seen as bargaining chips in political negotiations in Belarus. For example, Russia, which forms a union state with Belarus, wants to free its compatriot, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 for a political murder in Berlin’s Tiergarten, through an exchange.
Belarus is criticized for judicial arbitrariness
So far, there are no known cases in which Belarus has carried out the death penalty on foreigners. However, observers assume that Lukashenko, who is known as Europe’s last dictator, will not hand over a prisoner without something in return. Lukashenko, who celebrated 30 years in office on Saturday, received congratulations from Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, among others. He recently released several of his opponents from prison, attracting attention in the West.
The country has long been internationally criticized for its arbitrary justice system and politically motivated verdicts. More than 1,000 people are considered political prisoners in the country. The German, who comes from Berlin, has been in custody since November 2023. According to information from Vyazna, he is said to have worked for a short time as a security guard at the US embassy in Berlin before his time as a rescue worker.
It is still unclear which explosion the man is accused of. According to human rights activists, the case is linked to a regiment consisting mainly of Belarusian volunteers that is fighting on Kiev’s side against the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Belarus is supporting Russia in its large-scale attack and had allowed Moscow’s troops to invade Ukraine through its territory.
Relations between Minsk and Kyiv are tense
After the invasion began, opponents of the Russian war of aggression in Belarus also rendered infrastructure objects such as railway lines in their own country, which were used by the Russian military, unusable. They are called rail partisans there. In Belarus, weapons and other military equipment are produced for Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Source: Stern
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